The 10th annual Winston-Salem Fashion Week has returned for a week-long celebration of styling, upcycling, and celebrating local, undiscovered designers.
Winston-Salem Fashion Week kicked off its celebrations with an Art of Fashion Exhibition at the NC Museum of Art (formerly SECCA) located at, 750 Marguerite Dr., on Thursday, September 19 from 5 to 8 p.m. with Beyond the Runway. The body painting fashion exhibition featured the art of Cheryl Ann Lipstreu and other local artists. The guest host for the event was Carlos Bocanegra. There were more than 150 in attendance at the event and prizes were presented for the art exhibition.
The Opening Night Sneaker Ball and Reception was held on Monday at 7 p.m. at Roberts Hall, located at 874 N. Liberty St, and garnered a crowd of roughly 100 guests. Hosted by Christy Spencer of JKS, the reception was an opportunity to hear from community leaders and recognize WSFW community partners and sponsors. Attendees danced the rest of the night away with music by DJ Tru Groove.
The Food to Fashion Sustainable Fashion Show will be held on Wednesday, September 25 at the Southside Food Forest, located at 133 W. Acadia St., at 6 p.m. This show is free and open to the public.
WSFW’s annual Elite Swap Exchange and Styling Presentation will be held on Thursday, September 26 at the Delta Fine Arts Center, located at 2611 New Walkertown Road. The event focuses on sustainability in the Triad and offers residents a chance to re-vamp their wardrobes. Residents are invited to shop and swap with fellow fashionistas, men included. Bring three newly used apparel items or accessories, and swap them with another fashion lover. There will also be a panel discussion on sustainable fashion that includes Stylist Gabrielle Befort. Attendees will also enjoy food, beverages, and music provided by DJ Tru Groove. This event is free and open to the public.
The weekend will feature two days of looks on the runway from local designers, boutiques, and retail stores. The Opening Night Runway show is the “Urban Street Style” Runway Show, held at Truist Stadium, home of the Winston-Salem Dash, on Friday, September 27 at 6:30 p.m. The Youth Runway Show will also be held on Friday. This show will feature apparel from Hanesbrand, DXL, LEAD Girls, Project RunSlay, and JCPenny.
On Saturday, September 28, the WSFW Designers and Retail Runway Show will be presented at the N.C. Museum of Arts, formerly SECCA (Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art) at 1 p.m. A second show will be held at Innovation Quarter, located at 530 N. Patterson Ave., at 7 p.m. The 1 p.m. show will feature designs from Tiffany Flowers Scales, Akilah Shaw, Melissa Coleman, Jinn Wraith, Ariona Brewster, and J’Kayla Camerson. The 7 p.m. show will feature designs from Robin Antoinette 7 Davia, Marasia Jeter & SeKou, Olivia Jurney, George Hall, Body and Soul, Curvy Fox Boutique, and OBI International.
Winston Salem Fashion Week has partnered with NCMAWS, Goodwill Northwest NC, The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, and The Muse Winston Salem. Other sponsors include Champion, Hanesbrand, Inc., Innovation Quarter, Deweys Bakery, Robert Hall, Triad Cultural Arts, Project Space 411, Atlantic Union Bank, Sugar Mamas, DXL, The City of Winston Salem Mayor’s Office, Winston-Salem Chamber, Lamar Advertising Company, JCPenney, WS Dash, Delta Arts Center, Royalty Marketing, YES! Weekly, and Triad Voice Magazine.
Tickets range are $40. For more information, a complete list of events, or tickets, visit www.wsfashionweek.com.
Winston-Salem Fashion Week is a multicultural community event that is devoted to providing a forum for emerging and existing designers, new and existing boutiques, and artists to grow. Showcases provide designers with a broad audience of investors, bloggers, fashion influencers, and the general community. Since its inception in 2015, the event has grown from a few to more than a dozen designers a year, and national boutiques and retailers showing interest in the event.
